On the front line to enforce the rules of containment and health measures against the Covid-19 epidemic, the mayors will be attentive to Jean Castex's press conference this Thursday at 6 p.m.

They hope for an easing and regret not having been consulted. 

TESTIMONY

After a Defense Council this Thursday morning, the first stage of containment at 6 p.m.

Prime Minister Jean Castex will address the French and provide an update on the epidemiological situation of Covid-19.

While traders are pleading for a reopening with the approach of the end of the year holidays, the government should not announce any reduction in the measures, rather "an overview" for economic players.

Local elected officials, often on the front line to defend local shops, will be very attentive to the speech of the Prime Minister.

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If most elected officials apply the rules in force, many also denounce their "inconsistency", like Antoine Homé, mayor of Wittenheim in Alsace.

"Is culture really non-essential? I wonder, I don't agree! Is it more dangerous to be in a local store than a supermarket? ", asks the elected official.

Some mayors took municipal decrees during the first weekend of confinement to authorize the opening of "non-essential" businesses, angering Bruno le Maire, Minister of the Economy, designating them as "irresponsible".

Lack of consultations, questions from citizens 

For Jean-François Vigier, mayor of Bures-sur-Yvettes, in Essonne, the hardest part is to face the questions of the citizens.

"You know what the hardest thing for a mayor is to say 'I don't know', and in this Covid crisis when I am asked when the house of associations will reopen, when the gymnasium will reopen, is it? that we are going to the Christmas market, I keep answering 'I don't know'! Because we have no certainty ... ", plague the councilor.

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The Association of Mayors of France denounces confinement rules which do not take into account "the realities on the ground".

"We should be able to have leeway in collaboration with the prefects for the application of this principle of physical distancing, but obviously that requires a culture of trust in local actors", underlines Philippe Laurent, secretary general.

"This culture does not exist in our country unfortunately".

He also regrets that the AMF was not consulted before Jean Castex's statement.